Doug Liman Confirmed to Direct 'All You Need is Kill'

Variety reports that Doug Liman (Fair Game, Jumper, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity) will direct the big-screen adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka's 2004 science fiction-actioner, All You Need is Kill, for Warner Bros. Liman will direct All You Need is Kill from Dante Harper's screenplay. Harper sold a spec script o Warner Bros. this past April for seven figures. Liman was attached to direct a new adaptation of Alexander Dumas' The Three Musketeers as well, but another, unrelated adaptation (in 3D, of course) has already gone into production, putting Warner Bros.' take on hold for the foreseeable future.

Described as a Groundhog Day/Starship Troopersmash-up, All You Need is Kill was originally published for a young adult audience ("light novel" in publishing parlance) with illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe. All You Need is Kill centers on a future war between humans and aliens, the Gitai. The central character, Keiji Kiriya, a young, raw recruit, dies on the first day of battle, but reawakens the next morning, alive, unscathed, and headed for the same battle. Caught in a time loop, Keiji attempts, to learn from his mistakes, living longer each time. On the 158th "day", Keiji meets an experienced, female soldier, identified only as the "Bitch of War' who may (or may not) hold the key to Keiji escaping the time loop.